Stacker for hay in bales



Oct. 2, 1951- c, HANSEN 5 AL 2,569,760

STACKER FOR HAY IN BALES Filed 001;. 3, 1947 INVENTOR. CHRIS A.HANSEN CARL T. HANSEN I8 BY ATTOQNEY Patented Oct. 2, 1951 STACKER FOR HAY IN BALES Christian A. Hansen and Carl T. Hansen, Minden, Nev.

Application October 3, 1947, Serial No. 777,810 4 Claims. (01. toe-109) Our invention relates to a hay bale stacker which is of very simple construction and easy to handle.

The main object of the invention is to provide a stacker that operates efiiciently and rapidly and is therefore of great utility to the farmer, during harvest time.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawing, wherein like reference numerals denote the same details in the different views.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the stacker in closed or holding position;

Figure 2 is a right end view of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of Figure 1 and showing the grippers in dotted outline in raised or opened position;

Figure 4 is a side view of the derrick hook with releasing or opening device for the stacker.

The stacker comprises a rectangular frame I9 about 64" by 20" made of two long and two short metal pipes II and I2, preferably of 1" iron pipes, which are all cut at 45 angles at each end and welded together to make a firm rigid structure.

A pair of supporting rods I3 of about pipe is lapwelded to each side pipe II, with their lower ends equally spaced apart along the length of the frame. Each pair of said rods is inclined upwardly and inwardly and flattened out at the upper end to form an eye I5, with a lifting bolt l4 about 1" in diameter connecting the two eyes for handling the stacker from a derrick.

By this means the stacker, when closed, can be lowered to build the stack, or lifted when open. A grapple gate is provided on each long side I I of the frame. This consists of straight arms or shanks I6, hinged on pipe II as at 9, for grappling tines, and joined together by a spreader pipe or rod I I of about stock, to which they are spotwelded or otherwise suitably secured so as to always swing in unison with said spreader rod or pipe IT. The outer end of each of said shanks is connected to a grapple tine I8 of tool steel bent down and slightly curved inwardly from said straight shank portions I 6 and the tines on the two sides of the frame are positioned opposite to each other.

A yoke 20 for each gate straddles the two middle grapple shanks I6 where it is welded or otherwise secured to the top of said spreader pipe or rod [1, and is provided with a central loop or eye 2 I, raised about 6 above the spreader rod [1. Each loop H has attached thereto one end of a spreader chain I9.

The entire stacker is suspended from a derrick rope 3| to which the main hoisting hook 32 is secured. Said hook consists of a heaw, flat plate 22, oval in shape, with a top hole 23 therethrough for attaching the hoisting rope 3 I Near the lower end of this plate, the hook proper. 24 is mounted to swing in the plane of the hook from a bolt 25 secured in a central hole in the plate 22 in such a manner that its greater portion hangs below the concaved bottom edge 26 of the plate 22. It is so arranged that the concave portion of the hook in its bearing or looking position, completes the circle opening with the concave edge portion 26 to lock the carrying bolt I4 engaging in the supporting eye I5 of the stacker Ill. This heavy hook 24 has on its rear side a loop 28 for carrying a trip rope 29. A pull on said rope will swing the hook 24 to open and release the load.

Near the top of the hook plate 22 are provided other apertures 36 for securing the other ends of the two spreader chains I9. The arrangement is such that, when the stacker I8 is suspended from the derrick chain on rope 3|, when the stacker is closed, the hook 24 is holding the bolt I4, and the chains I9 are hanging slack. But directly the tripper rope 29 is pulled and the hook 24 is swung free from said bolt I4, and the entire weight of the stacker is then carried through the taut chains I9 by the hook plate and derrick rope 3I. If now the derrick rope 3| is hoisted, the chains I9 will pull up on the grapples I8 causing them to swing out and thus release the bale of hay.

By repeating this procedure and carrying one bale of hay after another, placing it on the stack, a very efiicient and accurate job of hay stacking will be carried out in a short time by this machine, saving much time and labor.

It will be understood that in the operation of the stacker the same will be swung by suitable lifting machinery, not shown, connected with the hoist table 3| to a position over a number of the bales which are to be picked up and the stacker will then be lowered onto the bales and an attendant will climb onto the bales and place the points of the tine in a position whereby when applying pressure to each gate carrying the tines l8 as for example, by standing on the gate, the points of the tines will be forced down into the hay bales. After thus forcing the points of the tines down into the bales the attendant locates the plate 22 above the bolt I 4, with the hook 24 swung aside so that the bolt will engage in the recess 26 after which the hook 24 is swung back into posit on t s curely c upl th lifting gage under the bolt when the latter is in said plate 22 with the frame of the structure consistrecess to maintain'connection between the bolt ing of the upwardly converging rods [3. The and the plate, means for attaching a pull cable bale or bales to which the stacker is connected, to the hook for shifting said hook from beneath may then be lifted and when the same have been 5 the bolt, and a pair of flexible couplings each 7 swung to the proper position they may be reconnected at one end with said plate and each leased by a pull applied to the hook 24 to withof the grapple gates having the other end of a draw the hook from beneath the supporting bolt. flexible coupling connected therewith. When the: grapp1e device is dropped into posi- 2. A bale stackenoomprisinga; substantially tion upon the bales which are to be hoisted, the 10 rectangular frame with two long sides and two central part thereof comprising the frame in will short sides, a grapple gate hinged on each of the come to rest upon the tops of the bales and the long sides of said frame, a pair of upwardly and gates can then be forced down tocause-the tines inwardly inclined support rods on each of the l8 to penetrate the bales, until the shanlg porlong sides of the frame and joined together to tions of the tines come into a substantially horirm=-aneye;a suspension bolt engaging in and zontal position with the frame In as shown-in ----coup1ing the eyes of the two pairs of support rods,

iFigure 3. When the hook. 2411s pulledgto :one a hoistrnember designed to have a hoist cable :side to disconnect the plate 22 from the frame connected therewith, a trip hook pivotally couzthe entire load pull will be transmitted through pled to said hoist member and adapted to be dethe chains H) to the gate so that the central part tachably coupled with said bolt, and a flexible -z'pf the.structure.-..wi1ldrop-andtheagates will be -aeoupling =between the hoist member....and-V-each ;-swung, upwardly. to; withdraw the tines ,fr0m.- the ra ple ..gate.-..bywhich .the.-.stacker .r.emains .1sus-.

ii balesiandthusireleaso the-lsamepended from the cable supported hoist--member It should b d: h a d d m- Whencthe 'tripi-hookis disconnectedifrom the sions of: the sundry partsgofithisrnachine are all, 25,;..bolt.

.-:;.rela tive,.:and that theymay be decreased. or in- 3, A,hay,. ba,le-i.stacker. asdescribed ingglaim: 2, l;.;-..creased to; suit.v circumstances and. the... work to h rein each grapple gateacomprises. a spreader .lbe .carried-.out.- "The .materialusedmay also be rod par'alleLwith each-long.side-.: f.. muira p yaried. and a plurality.ore-straight armsrigidly secured i :ltis to .be :understood; that the :invention as 30.1 11 .s id s readerlrodtand terminating. Jab-1171: 11 .1:;herein. discl0sed..may-.,be. varied flOl'lL the details outer ends in down turned grapp1e h0QkS;,-'a,nd gidescribednand shown. without departure from hinge means-connectingflhe. inner ends ;'of-. said -,-;the.spirit.0f. the subioin dol arms with said longsidez'oithe frame. a

1: We claim: 4.:A\hay-bale stacker-'as...described inuclaim 2 1. A- ay balegstaekeh. 30 l a bf gg 2 wherein each grapple. gate comprises aspreader 7.: t allyroota eu r g e. h v1 g:.two..long rod parallelwitheach long side. of .theframe, a 1 u l Sides, a .D D flDMQ plurality of straight arms rigidly. secured on said v.,'each; comprising. a, plurality of. grapple hooks, spreader..rod, and..hingedLon said long-.side of the each of said hooks havin a lon ShankQtermiframe,-...each ofssaid. armscterminating with a -;.nating,in a hinge sleeve, each;ofhsaidahinge; 40 downturnedhoolaand ayoke.memberastraddling Sleeves vi g a l gside of the name ex en thezinnermost .pair of-said straight armsand wing therethrough whereby thegrapplahoohhas .havingonemf said.flexible: couplings attached vertical swinging movement thereom a.:rod.-;exthereto. tending across theshanksoflthe. hooks ofeach CHRISTIAN A. HANSEN. .;:grapple.,gate. and secured thereto xampairw of; CARL T. HANSEN.

. upwardly and-inwardly inclined support rods on 1-.and-;connected: with each of the long sides of the a 5 REFERENCES CITED fr.ame,.each pair of .rods being joinedtogether at f llo in ef recordvinrthe :itheir upper endsto, form an eye, a suspensionlbolt fil f .this patent; .;:;extending, through and -connecti'ng,r-theeyesof $1 the two ,pairs'of. support rods, 2. hoistuniteom- UNITED STATES PATENTS rising a flat plate having a lower edge provided Number .zliame .D.ate wwithan arcuaterecess in which said. bolt; is r 64,167 iIo lin,;T 1 g. ,gl Apr;,,23; d867 adapted to position, a hook,pivotallygcarriedby ,;.l ,Q49,676 Whi.. et..a Au 36 saidplateand having a portion. adaptedto en, 

